The Honda H22a engine was the manufacturer's high-performance engine until it was replaced by the K-engine in the early 2000s. The engine was used primarily in the fourth and fifth generation Prelude and the fifth and sixth generation Accord. The H22a was also used as a racing engine, in both touring cars and drag racing cars.
The 131.6-cubic inch H22a is a VTEC engine with 16 valves. The four-cylinder inline engine has a bore of 3.43 inches and a stroke of 3.57 inches. The compression ratio is 10- to 10.6-to-1 for North American cars, 10- to 11-to 1 for European cars, and 10.6- to 11-to-1 for Japanese cars. It has belt driven dual overhead cams with variable timing and lift. The engine block and head are made of aluminum.
The horsepower of the H22a engine varied based on the vehicle and model it was mounted in. The fourth-generation Prelude had 197 horsepower at 6,800 rpm. The fifth-generation Prelude had 197 horsepower at 6,800 rpm or 217 horsepower at 7,200 rpm for the Type-S. The fifth-generation Accord had 187 horsepower at 6,800 rpm and the sixth-generation Accord had 217 horsepower at 7,200 rpm.
Like horsepower, the torque of the H22a engine varied based on vehicle. The fourth-generation Prelude had 151.5 pounds-feet of torque at 5,500 rpm. The torque of the fifth-generation Prelude was 161 pounds-feet at 5,500 rpm or 163 pounds-feet at 6,500 rpm for the Type-S. The torque for all fifth-generation Accords was 152 pounds-feet at 5,500 rpm. The sixth-generation Accord had 163 pounds-feet of torque at 6,500 rpm.
